The world’s first human trial of a drug that can regenerate teeth will begin in a few months, less than a year on from news of its success in animals. This paves the way for the medicine to be commercially available as early as 2030.

The trial, which will take place at Kyoto University Hospital from September to August 2025, will treat 30 males aged 30-64 who are missing at least one molar. The intravenous treatment will be tested for its efficacy on human dentition, after it successfully grew new teeth in ferret and mouse models with no significant side effects.

“We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence,” said lead researcher Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. “While there has been no treatment to date providing a permanent cure, we feel that people’s expectations for tooth growth are high.”

Following this 11-month first stage, the researchers will then trial the drug on patients aged 2-7 who are missing at least four teeth due to congenital tooth deficiency, which is estimated to affect 1% of people. The team is recruiting for this Phase IIa trial now.

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    There’s already several comments about how expensive it would be in the US along with dental care in general, but IIRC a lot of other countries leave dentistry out of their health care plans as well. Any country that can foresee this as becoming freely available want to speak up?

    • brb@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      In Finland dental care

      • is free for students (~70€/year for upper education)

      • is free if you are unable to work and have no income

      • has payment ceiling of 762€/year for everyone else (other healthcare is included in this also)

      Medicine also has payment ceiling of 627€/year after which you pay 2.50€ for any medicine

      So not completely free but pretty manageable I would say

    • deraceituno@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      In germany it would probably fall under aesthetics care like implants. Meaning they could eventually cover a portion, but the rest is on u. Was like that for my implant